


Yours

by MashiarasDream



Series: Yours!verse [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Alpha!Sam, Angst and Fluff, DeanCas - Freeform, Destiel - Freeform, M/M, True Mates, a/b/o dynamics, alpha!cas, apart from society, but we knew that, fairytale prince/pauper trope, love on first smell, omega!dean, weirdly no one is really screwed up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 13:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3730279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MashiarasDream/pseuds/MashiarasDream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean finds himself in the house of the pack-Alpha after a sick Sam has passed out on the street. Problem is, they are outsiders and Sam’s an Alpha without pack membership and Dean’s fucking scared that the Alpha takes this as an act of aggression. </p>
<p>Fairytale Destiel romance with a backdrop of fucked up society.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Earthy and calm

**Author's Note:**

> So apparently this happens when my submission kink kicks in at 2am and demands that I write shit. I tried to keep it short and sweet because I have literally half a dozen long stories right now and this story is totally fine moving at magic-fairytale speed. I hope you enjoy! Kudo and comment if you like it, I’m a total feedback-junkie.

The smell is pungent enough to pierce through the smell of sickness emanating from Sam.

He takes one whiff and his heart is racing.

Because fuck. Fuck. The girl hadn’t said anything about this. She said she’d get someone who can help. He had been grateful. Because Sam had blacked out in the street. And he was tall, and while he was lanky, his frame not quite filled out yet, he was already heavy. It had taken the two of them to bring him here and deposit him on the couch. But she hadn’t said…

“We have papers,” he stammers out, frantic, “he’s not a rogue. We have papers.”

Of course that doesn’t make it better. Not much anyway. Because he remembers signing to stay away from the man whose smell is piercing the room. He is very certain that that includes not coming into his house.

“He didn’t... It is my fault. He can’t… This is not an act of aggression. He would never…”

Because Dean is safe enough but Sammy is an Alpha. An Alpha without a pack or pack membership.

“We’re sorry, we’ll go.” But he has no idea how to make good on these words and so he stays rooted to his knees, not daring to look up at the man who’s coming closer.

Then the man is already by their side and he’s stretching out his hand towards Sammy, and Dean can’t see what he’s going for, whether it’s the throat or not, but he’s sure as hell not going to wait around to find out, so he just throws himself over Sam, protecting him with his whole body. “Please. Please don’t.”

There is a moment of pause and then a hand grabs his shoulder and draws him back. It doesn’t hurt, ‘not yet’ he thinks, but it is clear that the man expects him to obey.

So Dean does. Because he’s also signed that he’s going to accept this man’s authority over him. And because a lifetime of instincts is hard to kick.

He settles back on his haunches, keeps his hands by his side and lowers his head, leaning it to the side slightly, to expose a stretch of skin, enough, that both his spine and his throat are visible.

A satisfied grumble is the only answer he gets.

But he can’t suppress his anxiety when the man moves forward again, towards Sam. Dean doesn’t move but a high-pitched whine escapes his throat, a plea that he hates himself for but that he can’t stop.

The man pauses and turns back to him and Dean’s heartrate spikes even higher when the man’s hand comes up to the back of Dean’s own neck and wraps around it. He tenses in anticipation of pain. He doesn’t think the man will kill him, he’s no threat, he just isn’t good at following orders, but disobedience is enough to punish and everything in Dean’s body screams.

Only the pain doesn’t come. The hand stays where it is, heavy and warm and grounding. It bows him slightly but that’s just gravity. And after a minute, when his heart is still beating furiously but he doesn’t feel like he’s going to pass out anymore, the scent makes it through.

It is utterly calm. Strong and earthy and there’s nothing acrid in it. No intent to hurt. It cuts through the fog in Dean’s mind and he relaxes, sagging in his posture until the man’s hand has to follow him downwards. Dean nods then, even though he’s not sure his input is needed.

He doesn’t see whether the other man nods back, but the hand moves as the man leans over Sammy. He touches his forehead, which Dean knows is clammy with cold sweat, checks his eyes and looks for a reaction. But Sam’s still out and apart from a small whimper, he doesn’t move.

There is a deep sigh from the man. Then he swoops Sam up, one hand under his back, one under his knees, like a child.

“Follow me.”

The voice is rough and dark and Dean clamors to his feet.

They end up in a small room. It smells neutral and well-scrubbed. There’s a bed with sheets and a nightstand and not much else.

The man lays Sam down on the bed. “Wait here.”

Dean does the only thing he can think of, sinks back to his knees and grabs Sam’s hand and holds it tight. Even the hand is burning up and he should have gotten him to a doctor sooner but they don’t have the money and Sam refused and it’s fucking hard to make Sam do anything he doesn’t want to do.

Heavy steps come back into the room, unloading an armful of supplies on the nightstand.

Dean tries to keep his heartrate down, he really does, because he can virtually smell the fear emanating from him and you should never be able to smell your own scent.

Then the man is back at the bedside, crowding into Dean’s space and he has no time to concentrate on anything else because the Alpha opens up a pack and there is a needle and a syringe and Dean would freak out about that under the best circumstances and these are far from the best circumstances.

“You need to let go of the hand.”

It’s an order and he knows it but there’s a needle and – there’s a hand in front of his face.

It’s just being held there, the wrist right under Dean’s nose. The smell is still the same, earthy and calm and competent. No intention to hurt.

Dean’s fingers unclench and he can let go.

The man taps him on the shoulder and points towards the foot-end of the bed, so Dean scuffles over.

He watches the man’s every move. He works quickly and efficiently, setting the butterfly needle into the crook of Sam’s arm, attaching a bottle of clear liquid that he hangs on a hook in the ceiling. Then he’s pressing the content of the syringe into the tube.

It’s the first chance Dean’s gotten to look the man over. He’s younger than the carefully pressed slacks suggested. The sleeves of his dress shirt are rolled up. His face is concentrated and stern but not altogether unkind. He’s used to people doing what he says and it shows in his every movement.

It’s a spell that Dean knows he’s succumbing to. It would be hard to fight this man. Not even because he’s physically more powerful but because combined with his calming scent, Dean will not want to fight. He’ll want to be good and bask in his presence.

He grits his teeth against the thought because it is dangerous. He can’t let down his guard. They are still trespassing. They still do not belong. And there is no telling what the man will want from him as compensation.

“He’s going to sleep calmly now. You can stay with him if you want. Or you can come eat some food. I know that you’re hungry.”

He flinches when the man turns to him because he’s pretty sure he got caught staring and he quickly lets his gaze sink back below the man’s knees. Better not do anything to provoke him.

After he’s packed up his medical supplies, the man says, “I will need an answer to that. But in case you haven’t noticed, your stomach is rumbling.”

Dean hadn’t noticed but he does now. Still, Sammy hasn’t woken up yet and he shouldn’t leave him alone. He is on the verge of shaking his head when the man says, “I have already sent for someone to look after him. Someone with enough medical knowledge that you don’t need to worry.”

And indeed, it is only a minute later that the door opens. The smell of disinfectants almost wipes out the smell of beta underneath. A girl, dark wavy hair. She scurries to the bedside, wariness wafting of her as she comes closer.

It tightens the muscles in Dean’s face because he knew he shouldn’t be relaxing in the presence of the pack-Alpha but then he notices that the wariness is directed at them and not at him. He tries to be unobtrusive about taking another deep sniff, but no, she smells like the house but she doesn’t smell like the Alpha. He hasn’t marked her up.

There is an uncomfortable prickle at Dean’s neck where the Alpha’s hand had been laying on his skin. It was a possessive gesture even though it was used to calm him down. He knows that he and Sam don’t smell mated because, well, they’re brothers and they aren’t mated, but…

“Are you coming?” The Alpha asks and it is a question, not a command.

Maybe it is this, that makes it easier for Dean to get up and follow, though he sends a last look back to Sam. The girl has settled down in a chair on the far side of the room, a book in her hands but observing them quietly.

He’s being led to the kitchen.

“Take a seat. On a chair at the table, if you please.”

Dean’s glad for the clarification because he might just have slipped to the floor again. Better to err on the side of caution. It’s been a long time since he was in the presence of a pack-Alpha.

There’s clattering and the sound of the fridge being opened and closed and then a plate with a sandwich and a tall glass of water are placed in front of him.

Dean stares at the food without comprehension and, for a second, he loses his self-control because he looks up at the Alpha to search for clues for why the hell he just made a sandwich with his own hands – for a complete stranger and an Omega on top of it.

He’s met by startling blue eyes and they punch the breath out of him and he quickly looks back down.

“Eat. It’s for you.”

It’s weird and awkward, being watched while he eats, but he can’t deny that the food helps, settling his stomach and a part of his nerves.

The man waits until Dean’s flushed down the last bite with a big gulp of water, before he speaks again. “So, now. Who are you?”

“Name’s Dean Winchester,” Dean mumbles.

“Okay,” the Alpha nods. “Who’s your friend?”

“My brother. Sam.”

“Your brother. Alright. That explains it,” the man nods.

Dean knows what he means. It is uncommon for unmated Alphas and Omegas to be close. There are too many hormones involved.

“I believe you already know who I am,” the Alpha continues.

Dean nods, mouth suddenly dry. Even if he hadn’t known the man at all, the scent would have been enough to drive it home. “Yes, Alpha,” he answers meekly.

”Good. Then tell me why you’re here.”

He stomps down on the panic that wants to rise. “It wasn’t… There was this girl, she said she knew someone who could help… I didn’t know… I didn’t know she would bring us to you… I would not… We didn’t want to break the terms of our residence agreement…”

The Alpha holds up a hand to stop his flow of words and Dean falls silent.

“Charlie brought you to me. I know. But that wasn’t my question. I was asking: Why do you live here? In my pack.”

Oh. Oh. And that question isn’t any better. Dean racks his brain for an acceptable answer but the comfort of the food is wearing off and it’s hard to keep from shaking. “It didn’t seem too unfriendly. To outsiders. Your pack,” is what he finally settles on. “We don’t want any trouble.”

And it’s true, the pack isn’t unfriendly. He’s allowed to work at the garage and pick up some knowledge and money that way, and Sammy’s even allowed into school. Not common, to let a strange Alpha take part in pack life. It’s deemed too dangerous, lest he make too many friends and try to take over the pack.

The pack-Alpha mulls his words over for a moment. “Let me reword. Why did you leave your own pack? I’m assuming you had one once.”

Dean knows that he’s falling in on himself. That his shoulders hunch and the desperation in his scent is probably nauseating. But he’s got to try anyway. “Please. Sam has only got half a year of school left. If you could – if you could let us stay until then. Please. We’ll be no more trouble.”

“I wasn’t aware that you had been trouble.”

Dean can’t help it, he looks up at the Alpha again, because he must be kidding. He’s sitting right here wasting his time and resources on Sam and Dean, and that’s most definitely being trouble. But the Alpha looks serene.

Confused, Dean looks down at the table again. He didn’t even look pissed about Dean meeting his eyes. Even Alphas who don’t have their own pack are pissed when he does that. And he’s had one or the other Beta throw a slur at him before, too. Not here, though. Not in this pack.

And maybe it’s that thought, why he finally answers the question the Alpha had asked. “My Dad got kicked out. We didn’t have other family. He took us with him.”

“Is your father an Alpha?”

Dean shakes his head. “Beta.”

There is a moment of silence. Dean knows where the pack-Alpha’s thoughts are heading. Other Alphas getting kicked out over pack disputes, not uncommon. Betas getting kicked out, something bad happened.

“Where is he now? Your father?”

“I don’t know. I took Sammy the day I was 18 and we ran.”

He hopes to God that there are no more follow-up questions to that. He doesn’t want to lie to this Alpha. But he doesn’t want to talk about this, either. He’s shaking already and he’d rather not fall apart.

“And you’ve cared for your brother ever since?”

He nods.

“On your own?”

He nods again. He knows that it’s something else that is unusual. That his unmated omega butt shouldn’t be enough for that. It’s only because their Dad never contested and Sam never got in trouble that they didn’t take Sam away from him. And, oh God. Sam’s not quite 18 yet. “You won’t – you won’t make them take him away, will you? I know this looks bad, with how sick he is, but we’ve managed for 4 years. And he’s almost 18. Please. Please don’t call them.”

He starts sliding out of his chair because he’ll grovel and he’ll spend the night on his belly if that helps. Sam is all he’s got in this world. He doesn’t think he can live without him.

A strong hand on his shoulder stops him. “There’s no need for that.”

But he’s got to do something, so he makes himself smaller at least, bares his throat again.

The hand moves from his shoulder to his neck and he flinches when it touches his Adam’s apple. But he tries to keep still even though his breathing is rapid and shallow and his flight instinct is kicking in hard. But he submitted to this Alpha, so now he has to find the trust that he won’t hurt him.

As if he can read Dean’s thoughts, the Alpha moves his hand so that it’s tapping Dean’s chin. He’s tilting Dean’s head up until Dean is looking at him. He squirms and tries to avert his eyes but the Alpha will have none of that and holds him firmly in place. So finally Dean gives in and looks at the other man.

Only when he’s sure that he has Dean’s full attention, does he speak again. “I know it will be hard for you to believe this tonight. But you’re quite safe here. You and your brother both.”

Looking into the sharp blue eyes while the dark voice washes over him elicits a shiver in Dean that he doesn’t know what to do with. Because he expected fear but it isn’t. He soaks in the earthy scent and suddenly the hand on his chin is grounding instead of restricting. Suddenly, he has an urge to curl his own fingers around that hand. Or to lean close to scent the side of the Alpha’s neck.

And shit, what kind of power does this man possess to completely mind-fuck him like this with one little gesture.

The Alpha lets go, maybe having seen in his eyes the way Dean’s mind is reeling, maybe, and Dean blushes a deep scarlet at that, having smelled the moment of _good_ and of _safe_ and of _want_.

“I can have someone drive you back to your home. You can come back in the morning.”

Dean shakes his head. “Sammy. Please.”

“You want to stay with him. I understand. Come on then.”

And so Dean gets delivered back to the room where Sam is sleeping.

The girl in the chair shakes her head, no change. The Alpha dismisses her without a further word.

“He’ll not wake up before the morning. But even if he wakes before I’m here, I want you not to bail. Understood?”

Dean nods.

“There’s a bathroom right across the hall. You can help him if it’s needed. Do not disconnect the drip and keep the saline solution higher than his arm. Clear?”

Dean nods again.

“Well, I’ll see you in the morning then.”

And with that, the Alpha is gone.

Dean looks at the chair, but it seems so far away and too much effort to get there. So he just slumps to the ground where he is. He lays his arms and his head on the bed next to Sam and squeezes his eyes shut before the tears can fall.

 


	2. Honey and melted chocolate

It’s a hand in his hair that wakes him. He’s still slumped half on and half off the bed, every bone in his body hurting.

But the hand in his hair is Sam’s. His eyes look glassy but they focus on Dean when he looks up and the smell of Sam is stronger than the smell of sickness.

“Hey, Sammy.”

“Don’t call me that.” The voice is weak and raspy like his throat had been too dry for a week but he’s talking and he’s coherent and that’s so much better than yesterday.

“Okay, Sammy,” he answers because if he riles him up, his brother will know that he’s not going to die.

“Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

He nuzzles his face close to his brother’s hand because the tactile experience of having his brother close is the closest to happiness and peace that he knows.

But then the door opens and Sam jerks and shit, Dean didn’t have time to explain this yet.

“Sam, it’s okay. It’s okay, he’s not going to hurt you.” Dean is fighting the urge climb on the bed and insert himself physically between the two Alphas to keep them from doing something stupid.

But then there’s a hand on his back and he has no idea what it is with this guy and touch but he’s calming down.

His scent seems to change, too, because his brother, weak as he is, starts growling.

Dean freezes because fuck it is a bad idea to growl at the pack-Alpha.

But the Alpha’s posture doesn’t change. He keeps his hand on Dean’s back and the only thing that changes is that his smell gets a little sharper, a punch of ginger and clove amongst the calmer notes of soil and grass.

It’s not planned, but when the scent hits him, Dean arches his back a little, leans into the touch, a gesture of acceptance and maybe even affection to settle the ruffled feathers.

He gets rewarded with the Alpha’s hand slowly stroking along his back and a shocked look from Sam. And he’s sorry and he doesn’t want to betray his brother, but this Alpha has been nothing but good to them so far and if there’s a chance to keep it that way, he’s going to take it.

He’s gotten this far in his thoughts when he notices that the ginger and clove have been replaced by honey. So even as Sam is looking away, the challenge dropping abruptly out of his expression, Dean is looking up, because shit, the honey is damn nice and he’s pretty sure that he’s put it there and this is one strange Alpha that he’s affected by him so easily.

There is a small smile on the Alpha’s face, the first that Dean has seen so far. But then, he hasn’t actually spent a lot of time looking at the Alpha, because he tries to be good and respectful and not get in trouble, but the honey scent makes him dizzy and he thinks he could spend a lot of time looking at this Alpha’s face if he was allowed.

“Will you let me check on your brother now?” the Alpha asks, smile still in his voice.

Dean doesn’t want to lose the warmth of the hand on his back, but he nods and makes space anyway. Only when the Alpha is already fiddling with the tubes of the IV does Dean notice that this, also, had been an actual question. He’s grateful for it, because he knows the Alpha could just as easily order him around.

At the same time, his stomach already ties itself into knots about the inevitable moment when he answers a question in a way that is not satisfactory to the Alpha. It’s bound to happen. He hates that it’s inevitable as much as he hates that it is already important to him not to disappoint the man.

“The fever is down but it is not gone. Another 24 hours of bed rest and fluids at the very least.”

The voice is strict and there is no argument from Sam, though his eyes flit to Dean again.

The Alpha sees it, too. He looks at Sam judgingly. “Your brother is welcome to stay, of course. Right now, I would like to treat him to breakfast.”

It is a half-question, not quite asking for permission because he doesn’t need it, but leaving enough wriggle room to state direct opposition without disobedience.

It is muddled, anyway, their status with each other. Because right now, Dean is Sam’s legal guardian. But the moment Sam turns 18, his social status will give him the right to decide pretty much everything in Dean’s life if he chooses to do so.

Dean doesn’t think he will, though. They’ve gone through a lot of shit and it would be a lie to say that they’re always seeing eye to eye. But social status was never an issue in their fights. Sam’s never tried to cow him into submission. Or anyone else for that matter. He’s a gentle giant. So Dean thinks they’re going to get through that transition okay.

He thinks it even more when his brother rasps only, “his choice,” in response to the Alpha.

The pack-Alpha nods and turns around. “Well, Dean, what do you say? Breakfast?”

The moment the man turns around the dizzying scent of honey hits him again and the “Yes please” is out of his mouth before he can even think about it. The words are quiet and shy but the scent of honey intensifies and Dean ducks his head to hide his blush.

“Meg will come in to look after you in bit. Until then, try to sleep,” the pack-Alpha says to Sam before they leave.

 

The breakfast table is already set when they get to the kitchen, Dean a respectful step behind the Alpha but closer than he dared to get yesterday.

The redhead who’s brought them here is bustling around the kitchen, fixing herself something that looks like an enormous mountain of cinnamon and sugar toast.

“Charlie,” the Alpha directs her attention to their arrival.

She looks up with a smile. “Cas,” she greets the Alpha and the name holds as much as respect as any title. Then she looks at Dean. “And I’ve learned that you are Dean. Sorry that I gave you a scare there. But he helped, didn’t he? I didn’t promise too much?”

Dean is uncomfortable talking about the Alpha as if he isn’t in the room but it would be rude not to answer, so he goes for a quick, “Yes, he did.”

“Good,” she smiles. “I’ll need you over in bookkeeping sometime today, Cas.”

“I will make time for it,” the Alpha replies evenly.

“Alrighty-right,” Charlie balances the huge plate with both hands and saunters out of the room.

The two places that are set at the table are the same ones they sat in yesterday. But the Alpha goes towards the coffee machine and doesn’t sit, so Dean takes his cue from that and doesn’t sit, either.

“Do you drink coffee?”

Dean nods before he remembers that the pack-Alpha has his back to him. “Yes,” he hesitates for a moment, then tucks on, “Alpha.” Because Sir is his dad and he’d rather not be reminded of his dad right now.

The Alpha comes over, two coffee cups in his hands. “I appreciate the respect but you can call me Cas like everyone else does. I’ve never found it insulting.”

Dean’s mouth is already open for the ‘but’ when he notices what he’s doing and bites it back.

Not fast enough that it didn’t get noticed, though. “What’s wrong?”

He shakes his head because it’s not important really.

The Alpha makes a small noise of displeasure. It isn’t threatening and Dean isn’t even sure it’s directed at him. Maybe it just came out involuntarily. But the Alpha is displeased and Dean doesn’t like it. For completely different reasons than he should. It makes his gut churn how much he wants to please this man, but like with the ginger and clove, he still feels a need to fix this.

“I don’t belong,” he says quietly. “I shouldn’t have the same privileges as the pack.”

And ‘shouldn’t’ is a strong word because it expresses his disagreement clearly but it is the truth and he got asked for the truth.

“Mmh,” the Alpha sets down the cups on the table and beckons Dean to sit, “I do not agree. You live on my land. You are protected by the same laws as my pack. If you got attacked, I would defend you. I think it is well within my rights to tell you how I prefer to be addressed.”

“You would protect me?” Dean is too surprised by that to focus on anything else.

“Of course.” There isn’t the slightest hesitation in the answer.

That gives Dean pause. Because he hasn’t even considered this. In their old pack, things had been about obedience, not about protection. That had merely been a side-effect. And it hadn’t meant you were safe. And ever since, he hadn’t expected anyone to look out for him. He was keeping Sam as safe as he could, and he tried not to get trampled over in the process. That was good enough for him.

Maybe he should protest. Not out loud probably, but at least in the safety of his own mind. Maybe he shouldn’t accept the statement and instead look for the lie in it. But he’s pretty good at spotting lies and he doesn’t think that was one.

Then maybe, if he can’t pick this statement apart, he should at least not to trust this guy in general. Yeah, that is a good one, because he really shouldn’t trust him.

Only, he does. And maybe it’s the pheromones fucking him up or whatever but he’s met more than one Alpha and it isn’t usually like this. He distrusts them, takes apart their motives, looks for the hidden meaning in every glance or word or touch. Because that’s how he stays safe. That’s how he knows when he needs to get out of somewhere before Alpha hormones and a power trip pin him against a wall.

He feels the prickle at his neck again, feels the heavy warmth of the Alpha’s hand on his back. But there is nothing creepy about it, it didn’t feel like a means to an end. Unless the end was to calm Dean and give him stable ground to stand on.

His hands twitch where they want to find the Alpha’s fingers, touch his skin and give back a fraction of what he’s feeling. But he can’t, so he settles for “Thank you.”

It’s heartfelt, and the Alpha – Cas – seems to understand because he doesn’t push and he doesn’t ask, but he smiles.

They eat silently, Dean following Cas’ lead and trying not to eat too fast or too much. Cas is very neat with his food, very controlled. Dean thinks the tight self-control might be one of his defining traits. He can feel the power crackling underneath the surface, the self-confidence of the uncontested leader, but there aren’t any ostentatious displays of it. In the opposite, Cas has been nothing but considerate.

It gives Dean a queasy feeling in his stomach because it keeps him off balance. Outright violence, he can deal. Barked orders, he can deal. But eating breakfast with the pack-Alpha like it’s something he does every day? He has no idea how to handle that.

“Do you have to work today? You work at Bobby’s right?”

Dean nods. “I do. But he gave me a few days off to care for Sam.”

“How do you like it at Bobby’s?”

Dean shrugs. “I’m good with cars. I try to be a help.”

“Not quite the question I asked, but close enough. Are they treating you well?”

That makes Dean frown because that is a question he wouldn’t be asked if he wasn’t an…

“I ask because you’re an outsider, Dean. Bobby can be somewhat grumpy and resistant to new people.”

And that’s downright scary how Cas can read his mind like this. “Sorry,” Dean mumbles. “And Bobby is fine. He’s – “ nicer to me than my own dad ever was, “a good guy.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I will ask Sam, too, once he is a bit more stable. Whether things are going well at school. Because I do not believe that you would have brought any incidences to Ellen Harvelle, as it would be your right. Correct?”

Dean nods tightly. “Yes, Alph… – Cas.”

Cas acknowledges the correct address but he doesn’t let go of the topic. “Have there been incidences?”

Dean starts shrinking in on himself again. There have been, of course there have been. Sam had had a crush on that Ruby kid, and there had been fallout from that. Dean had been attacked by that Gordon guy. But all in all, incidences are few and far between.

“We know how to protect ourselves.” It isn’t the answer Cas wants, but ratting out pack members to the Alpha will make their lives harder not easier.

“So you’re saying you don’t need my protection but you can’t handle a cold? Because that was a cold before it turned into pneumonia.”

Dean’s appetite is suddenly gone. Because yeah, he knows how fucking shitty it is that it came to this. That he shouldn’t have let it come that far. But it’s fucking hard, being an unmated Omega with an underage Alpha brother, trying to make ends meet somehow. Ain’t that many places that would employ an Omega in the first place, always the same stories about how no one can concentrate with the smell of Omega around or some other bullshit like that. And an unmated Omega without pack protection? Dean’s fucking proud that he’s held down his job for as long as he has. Cas won’t take that away from him.

“You’re angry at me,” Cas states and Dean is pretty sure that there is no use in denying it.

“I’m doing the best I can,” he snaps. “Sam’s got good grades. He can apply for a scholarship at an Alpha college. Stay in the city or start his own pack. He’s going to do well.”

“And you?”

It’s a simple question, but it takes the wind out of him. Because they’re all nice to him, but not even Bobby asks whether he’s got any ambitions beyond getting his brother to college.

“I – I don’t know. It depends, I guess. Whether Sam wants me around. Whether I can stay here. I’ll find something.”

“No plans on your own? No college? No family?”

Dean snorts because yeah, this guy is an Alpha but he’s also ridiculous. “Dude, dreams ain’t worth shit when you’re in my situation.”

He notices the ‘dude’ that managed to slip in there only after the fact but he hasn’t even opened his mouth to apologize when Cas asks, “But you _have_ dreams?”

“I’ll tell you when I know.” It comes out flippant and that’s probably not good, but when Cas opens his mouth with what he’s sure is the next follow-up question, he shakes his head, “Please don’t.” And when the silence that answers that has the distinct feel of a request to keep going, he adds, “I can’t afford to think like that. Not now.”

“So instead of thinking about how to make yourself happy, you’re thinking about how to keep me happy, so that you can stay.”

It isn’t a question but Dean answers anyway. “Yes.” He manages a weak smile. “Though I think I’d be trying that anyway.” Even if he had nothing to do at all with this Alpha and nothing to lose by pissing him off.

But the Alpha must know what effect he has on people. Dean’s not the only one who fell for that sure hand and honey scent, he’s sure. So it isn’t a big admission, really. Just another way to say that he accepts the power this man has over him.

Still, for some reason, it gives the Alpha pause. He fidgets with his napkin for a moment, the only sign of anything but calm he’s shown so far.

“You okay?” Dean asks because he doesn’t think he’s said something wrong but it was obviously unsettling.

Only, apparently his question is even more unsettling because the Alpha looks up sharply.

And he would be scared at that, if there was anything in the Alpha’s scent to indicate that he should be. But there isn’t. So Dean lowers his head, making clear that he wasn’t disrespecting him, but keeps his body angled towards the Alpha, still open for an answer.

“People don’t ask me that a lot,” Cas finally says.

Dean nods because okay, he gets it. The pack-Alpha’s got everything, all the power, all the resources. It’s easy to assume he’s always fine. “You’re still just a person.”

The Alpha snorts a surprised laugh. “Thanks, I guess?”

Dean ducks his head again but there is a smile playing along his lips and crap, he’s got to be careful, because if the Alpha keeps this making him feel good shit up, Dean’s going to start flirting and that’s probably not going to end well.

But the Alpha doesn’t make it easy for him, because he goes back to smiling and says, “So, since we’ve determined that I’m also just a person, do you have any questions for me? Because so far, it’s been me asking about your life. We can change that around if you want.”

“Questions?” Dean asks back dumbly. “Like anything?” Because it makes sense for the Alpha to be asking him questions. He needs to know what’s going on in his pack. Whether Dean and Sam are a threat. Even whether they have been threatened is helpful information. It’s Cas’ responsibility to ensure stability. But Dean asking the Alpha questions? That’s personal. And it isn’t that he isn’t curious it’s just that – since when does an Alpha get personal with outsiders?

Cas nods. “You can ask whatever you want to know. I can still decide whether I want to answer every question.”

“You’re so strange,” Dean shakes his head. “And I don’t mean that as disrespect in any way, shape or form. But you’re – different.”

“Because I’m not barking orders at you?”

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg, man.”

“Well, I’m not a big fan of barking orders. I find it distressing. I’d rather people respected me than feared me.”

“You manage that just fine,” Dean mutters because he’s still unsure how he feels about the fact that the Alpha has managed to twist his heart around completely in less than a day.

“I’m glad you’re not afraid of me anymore,” Cas says quietly. “That was _very_ distressing. Your scent… I like it much better as it is now. And I apologize for touching you without warning. But it seemed… The way to get through to you.”

Dean shivers at the memory of Cas’ skin on his. But yeah, it had been calming him down pretty effectively. Only, “I wasn’t frantic this morning. I was scared, yeah, because two Alphas in one room… but I wasn’t frantic.” He’s pretty sure Cas wouldn’t have had to do more than tell him to calm down.

“Have I mentioned the part about the distressing?” Cas half-smiles and he’s fidgeting again. “I really don’t like smelling fear on you.”

Dean looks at Cas with wide eyes because that sounds suspiciously like what he was feeling when Cas smelled upset. “So you’re saying, I smelled upset and you felt the need to fix it?” he summarizes.

“Yes,” Cas nods.

“Yeah, man, I’m right there with you.” This admission weighs heavier than the other one so he grimaces. “I mean, you obviously got a pretty tight control on your scent, but when you and my brother… Yeah. I’m right there with you.”

“He was protecting you.” Cas blushes. “Strictly speaking, it was inappropriate of me to – you know...”

“Be possessive in front of him?” Dean smirks because he is failing epically at the no flirting thing.

Cas blushes deeper and the honey that’s been pretty constant gets a layer of melted chocolate on top.

It makes something in Dean click and change because holy shit. He hasn’t seen Cas all that often and usually it’s from afar, but even though he’s wrecking his brain, it never seemed to him that Cas was the touchy-feely kind of guy. The two Betas in his household don’t smell like him at all. Hell, half the house smells neutral. But Cas’ scent clings to Dean now, whatever got lost over night replenished by the lingering touch in the morning. Cas had been possessive. And not in the pack-Alpha over youngster Alpha kind of way.

“ _Any_ question?” Dean asks. Because if he’s wrong, he’s going to be pretty far out of line.

Cas’ eyes are dark they are so wide and this time Dean doesn’t look away. Staring at the Alpha will be the least of his problems if he’s reading this wrong. Only, he doesn’t think he is and the smell of honey and chocolate is intoxicating and he wants more of it and it’s making him bolder than he ever thought he would be.

“Any question,” Cas nods without taking his eyes away from Dean.

Dean swallows heavily. “Would you –“ But he can’t. This is ridiculous. He’s an not even a pack member and he should be grateful that Cas is so nice to him and not push boundaries. He knows better than to ever push boundaries.

“Tell me,” Cas’ voice is a rush of breath and he’s leaning forward into Dean’s space.

This would be a good time to find his common sense again and at least look away or something, but Cas is still holding his gaze and Dean doesn’t get the feeling of being crowded or forced into submission that he usually gets when Alphas are in his space.

He’s so fucked.

“Cas, would you – let me scent you?”

He is frightened the moment he’s finished the sentence. Because fuck, that was forward as all hell. And he’s asking for something frikking personal and intimate here and there’s a lot scenarios in which this can end catastrophic. Either Cas is affronted and everything nice and good that they had will be gone and Dean will be on his own again, only he’ll be one home and one ally short. Or Cas might take it as a sign that Dean is easy and that he can just take from him whatever he wants, and then Dean will be a bit more broken and also short one home and one ally. And all in all, this was a really stupid and bad idea.

“Dean!”

He was so caught up in panicking that he hasn’t even noticed that the Alpha has gotten up and walked over to his chair. But now his hand is tapping Dean’s and then he’s drawing him up to stand in front of him.

They’re almost the same height. Dean might be an inch or two taller.

Cas is wearing a dress shirt again, but now he’s opening the top button of his shirt. He smoothes the collar down and tilts his head to the side.

And Dean can’t believe it because that is an invitation.

He hesitantly takes a step closer, far enough into his personal space that he can feel Cas’ body heat radiating off of him.

A small shudder runs through Cas when Dean cautiously leans in. He noses at Cas’ pulse point, slowly, shyly. Cas can still push him off if he wants that. But instead, his arms come up around Dean, so Dean holds on to the dress shirt.

He breathes in deeply and from this close, the scent is so strong and so sweet that he sees colors at the edges of his vision. He closes his eyes, though that only seems to make the colors more vibrant. He can’t resist and licks a stripe across Cas’ throat, knowing that he’s blatantly marking him and he probably shouldn’t, but he wants that smell and he wants it all to himself and he doesn’t want to share. It elicits a guttural growl from Cas and he’s aware that Cas knows exactly what he’s doing. But he still nibs at Cas’ Adam’s Apple, softly, and nuzzles deep into his skin, before turning his own head to the side, allowing Cas the same pleasure he’s allowed him.

Cas doesn’t need to be asked twice, he leans right in, letting Dean’s scent guide him to the pulse point. He isn’t hesitant like Dean has been, his mouth on Dean’s skin in seconds. He doesn’t keep it at licking, either, because Dean feels the scrape of teeth and then Cas is sucking at his skin over his windpipe and it’s all Dean can do to hold himself upright.

Dean’s fingers dig into Cas’ pecs, not a defensive gesture, just a clinging on, but the pressure is enough that Cas takes a half-step back. He shakes his head like he’s coming out of a haze. Then he looks at Dean’s skin, where Dean is sure a bruise is already forming.

He cautiously stretches out a hand towards it but lets it sink. “I’m s…”

“Don’t! Don’t you dare!” Dean growls and doesn’t know where the venom is coming from. But Cas’ scent is on him and it feels good and right and he won’t let him apologize for it. He touches his own hand to the mark as if to protect it.

“But you didn’t agree…”

“I asked you. And I marked you first.” It comes out more forceful than he intends it to be. And yeah, Dean’s mark can be washed off and Cas’ will need a few days to heal but that’s not the point. The point is that he felt the need to mark the Alpha and the Alpha let him and marked him in return. At least at that moment, there was full consent. Dean sighs and rubs his hand over his face, afterglow and anger both quickly dissipating. “You didn’t violate me. It was freely given.”

But he still takes a step back. Because he isn’t stupid and he isn’t naïve. He’s recognizing the feeling in his gut. Even if he hasn’t felt it before. Not in this intensity. Not where he wanted to give himself completely over. But he knows what it is. And it’s hard enough being helpless against this, he doesn’t need to make it harder.

“Dean…”

He shakes his head and lowers his gaze because everything they say and do now will only make it worse. Dean isn’t the one the pack-Alpha is looking for. Dean’s going to leave with his brother in a day and with the residence agreement back in place, he’s not going to return. His heart will be broken enough by that as it is. “Is it okay if I go look after my brother?” he asks softly.

“No!” The tone is agitated. “No, frankly, it’s not okay, Dean. Not before we‘ve talked about this. Not with you marked up and smelling this dejected.”

“Sam’s going to kill you,” Dean realizes.

“No, probably not. But he is going to try. I would. If you were my brother. And that’s a whole lot of completely avoidable trouble.”

“Yeah.” Dean takes a deep breath as the logic of this argument sets in. “Okay.”

He tries to think this through. Because usually that helps. If he can get to being rational, he won’t smell dejected and it’ll be safe to go see Sam. It’s hard, though, with the honey smell clouding his mind. It’s not the only scent emanating from Cas right now, there are deeper notes, darker notes, but it stays constant like a blanket to envelope him and keep him safe.

Dean’s hand strays to the mark again. He presses against it, feeling the slight sting. There’s nothing logical about it. There’s nothing logical about the scent and the mark making him feel good and safe and wanted. Nothing logical about wanting to keep the bruise, wanting it to mean exactly what it means, that for a moment there Cas had wanted him enough to mark him up, even when Dean knows that it would be easier for both of them if it wasn’t there. It isn’t logical that the mark feels like it belongs there. Like it belongs to Dean because Dean belongs to Cas.

The realization runs over Dean in a wave of hot and then cold and his knees give out from under him. Because that’s the logical conclusion. The mark feels like it belongs there because he’s already given himself over to Cas. There’s nothing theoretical about it anymore. Cas has marked him his, for the whole world to see. And Dean doesn’t recoil from it. He wants it. He’s a goner. He’s not coming back from this.

Cas is right next to him then, kneeling where Dean has sunken to the floor. Dean doesn’t make the effort to lean away. It’s too late. He’s already lost. It had to be this way, hadn’t it? Like everything else important in his life it had to be abrupt and impossible and he’s only catching on when it’s pretty much decided already.

“Dean?”

He doesn’t know what else to do so he offers his throat again. There’s no fear attached to the gesture. He thinks that even if Cas decided to rip his throat out, Dean might just let him. He’s got no will left to fight this.

“Dean.” There is a steadying hand on his arm. “You don’t need to.”

“It’s all I have, Cas,” he whispers. “Do with it whatever you want.”

“Dean,” the hand comes up to his face, cupping his cheek and he knows that tears threaten to spill over.

But he takes a fortifying breath because he doesn’t want to cry. He can get this over with with at least some of his dignity intact and maybe then life will somehow go on. Maybe Cas can find a place in his vicinity for Dean. Stranger things have happened. “I mean it. Do with me what you want. I’m yours anyway.”

The hand on his cheek lets go and for a moment the silence is so heavy that you could cut it with a knife but Dean waits. There’s nothing for him to say or do anymore.

There are storm clouds and rain mixed into Cas’ scent. He’s confused, even though Dean has no idea what Cas could be confused about. Dean doesn’t have any words plainer than the ones he’s used to say that he is laying his life at Cas’ feet.

“You really mean that?” Cas finally asks.

Dean nods.

“You don’t know me. You were terrified of me only yesterday.”

“Yours,” Dean repeats and it even comes out calm and collected, because petrifying as it should be, that’s what his heart beats as a rhythm and he’s settling into the knowledge that he can’t change it.

“Mine?” Cas says the word hesitantly as if he is trying it out on his tongue. “Mine.” This time it’s more secure and the storm clouds part for sweeter smells.

It coaxes a small smile on Dean’s face because the way Cas is saying this, Dean doesn’t think he’s going to send him away for good. So that’s something.

“Dean, are you sure? Are you really really sure?” Cas’ hand comes up to Dean’s neck again, though this time it is tugging at his shirt, getting the collar out of the way and it’s caressing the area right between his collarbone and his neck.

The area where a mating bite would go.

Dean looks up abruptly and catches Cas’ hand. “Cas, what are you doing?”

There’s a hard swallow and then, “Isn’t it obvious?”

He can’t be serious. “Cas, you… you hardly know me. I’m not even a pack member.”

“Doesn’t matter… Yours, too,” Cas says with a helpless shrug.

Dean’s heart beats hard and fast and he must have misheard this because an Alpha would always be saying _mine_ not _yours_ , right? But Cas’ hand is still in his where he’s caught it and he’s heard _something_ and, “You’re crazy. Certifiably crazy.”

Cas laughs, though it is a nervous and small sound, “The question is, do you want to be crazy with me?”

“Cas, that is… you sound like… Fuck, are you proposing?” Dean asks before his brain can catch up enough to tell him how stupid a question that is.

“Would you say yes if I was?”

Dean is rendered speechless. Because yeah, it’s taken him all of five minutes to fall for the Alpha’s spell, but the Alpha?

“Dean,” Cas says and seems to be reading his thoughts again. “I don’t even… I don’t even have the words. Your scent is overwhelming. And you are gorgeous. And wonderful. And courageous. And kind. And – people have pushed me for years to finally get a mate. I’ve always refused. Because I wanted no one but my true mate. If I hadn’t found you, I’d have given the pack to someone else’s pup when I’m old. Dean, I didn’t know you but I’ve always wanted only you.”

It’s too much and not even half the words make it into Dean’s consciousness because the smell of _happy_ and _love_ is so strong that it blocks out everything else. And he wants nothing more than to add the smell of _mate_ to it but it’s still crazy. This is not how this is supposed to work. Or at least he doesn’t think it is.

“You don’t even want to get me out of my clothes first?” Dean asks and maybe it’s dumb and maybe it isn’t but he’s pretty sure there was the mention of pups somewhere in there.

Cas gives a small chuckle. “Oh, I want to get you out of your clothes, don’t worry. But I don’t want to – I want you to know that I’m yours first. That I’m not using you.”

Dean blinks at Cas. Because that was pretty much an acknowledgement of everything Dean thinks is wrong with the world and every fight he’s ever had to fight because of his status, and then Cas turned it all on its head by saying ‘I’m yours’. Because this time he’s heard it right, he’s sure.

“Mine?” He asks because he’s an Omega and nothing in the world is really his, there is always one Alpha or another who could take it away and the concept of Cas being his doesn’t really compute but it still makes him feel warm from the inside and that seems to show in his scent, too, because Cas breathes in deeply and he has a blissful look on his face when he opens his eyes again. “One mate. One life-time. I’m as much yours as you are mine.”

And there’s no question there anymore, no hesitation, no doubt. So Dean takes the collar of his shirt and drags it down. “Make it an engagement, though, Cas, okay? Your pack’s going to be pissed if you tie the knot without them.”

There is a hunger in Cas’ eyes when he looks at the stretch of skin that Dean’s bared that makes Dean shudder. Cas leans forward, sniffs once or twice to find the exact right place, and Dean can feel his teeth scraping for a moment, want tingling in the air, but he doesn’t bite, he sucks a bruise instead.

He licks over his work, once, twice, before leaning back and without further words offering his own neck to Dean.

Dean’s suddenly nervous, because fuck, Cas is gorgeous and a pack-Alpha and he’ll get to smell the honey smell for the rest of his life and he has no idea how he deserves to be this lucky and maybe it’s all going to fall apart still, but then his lips are on Cas’ skin and his scent is all there is and it crowds out all other thoughts with _good safe love mate_ and suddenly Dean knows why Cas had trouble not biting because his own teeth have also found skin and it’s a conscious effort to revert the energy into something less permanent. Cas shudders and Dean thinks it has nothing to do with the slight pain and everything to do with the meaning of what they’re doing. He looks at the bruise that is forming, licks over it shyly, and then nuzzles close to Cas.


	3. Good safe love mate

They’re nosing and scenting and licking and loving on each other until the smell of the room changes. Dean notices it first and tenses. It’s enough to make Cas stop and look up.

“Umm, sorry to interrupt,” says a female voice that Dean knows. The town official, Ellen Harvelle. She sniffs the air not too subtly. “I want to note that I came because you called me last night and said you wanted me here, Alpha,” she adds as if she’s sure she has to remind him because the haze of pheromones is too much for him to remember on his own.

Cas sighs and straightens. “Yes, I did and it’s good that you’re here.” He gets his feet under him and holds a hand out for Dean to help him up.

There’s a shocked gasp, though Ellen tries to cover it up with a cough, and Dean knows that it’s the moment she’s noticed the marks. He balls his hands into fists at his side, because he’s pretty sure she’d approve of Cas fooling around with him a lot more than of Cas being serious about him and he doesn’t want it to hurt, but it does.

Cas’ hand is on him in an instant, the weight of it on his arm reminding him that he’s there and that this is real and Dean relaxes a little.

“Let us sit down. We have a few things to talk about.” Cas leads them over to the kitchen table, to the side where there isn’t still breakfast cluttering up the space. He makes sure that he’s sitting at the head end, between Ellen and Dean. “Did you bring the residence agreements?” he asks Ellen.

“Of course,” she says and lays an envelope on the table.

“Good. There’ll be a few alterations. If we jot them down right now, we can immediately sign them since all parties involved are here. If I tell you what I want, can you word it in contract speech?”

Ellen nods and takes a pen and an empty sheet of paper out of her folder.

“First, I want to render the passage about having to keep away from me null.”

Ellen coughs. “Does that, uhh, go for Dean only?”

Cas levels her with a stare. “And how’s that supposed to work, seeing that Dean is Sam’s legal guardian?”

“Umm, both of them then I guess. But Cas…”

“You can add a passage that states no attacks against me. I do believe Sam knows that, though.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Her gaze is drawn to the mark on Cas’ neck again and she shakes her head but she continues writing.

“Next. Sam and Dean are to be instated on the pack health insurance. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the chance to apply my skills as a doctor once in a while, but I do not like to see anyone this sick when it is avoidable. We should change our policy towards outsiders in this regard in general. It was an oversight on my part that it hasn’t happened earlier.”

“Whatever you think best.”

It is weird, seeing Cas in Alpha mode with Ellen, after he’d had him all to himself the whole morning. The Alpha mode had gradually dropped away then, until what was left was only Cas and Dean. Now Dean’s completely aware of their stations again. But, even weirder, that doesn’t seem to change anything between them. At least for Dean, it doesn’t.

“Last but not least, I want you to start formal pack membership applications for Sam and Dean. I will have to ask Sam whether this is his wish, too, of course. Dean, I believe I have your approval for this step, but if I don’t, just say so.”

Cas’ gaze strays to the marks on Dean’s neck and a wave of honey and warm sunlight hits Dean and it’s enough to make him dizzy again, so he doesn’t find his voice but he can’t stop from smiling and he nods his approval, because yeah, _warm safe mate belong_.

Ellen coughs discreetly again and suddenly Dean thinks maybe she wasn’t actually trying to hide her disapproval, maybe their pheromones are just choking her. It almost makes him giggle, but he trains his gaze on his hands and keeps it in. No giggling during serious pack business.

“Cas, can I utter a few words of caution?” Ellen asks.

“Go ahead,” Cas nods.

“Bringing an Alpha who’s almost of legal age newly into the pack is maybe not the wisest choice in the w…”

Cas holds his hand up and it stops her as effortlessly as it had stopped Dean the other day. “Please consider that the Alpha in question has been living in the pack for years, going to school with our pups and has to my knowledge never gotten in trouble.”

“It’s still different,” Ellen frowns.

“How? Because we’ve not provided him with a home until now? Because we’ve kept him from adequate protection? From adequate medical care? Is that somehow making him less of a danger to me? I will talk to Sam Winchester and we’ll see what he wants to do. I believe he’ll leave us for college soon anyway. But I want this place to be a home for Dean and there’s no scenario that doesn’t include his brother. And Dean,” he turns around to face Dean, “in case you were wondering, I’ve decided this yesterday already. I would have acted the same way without…” His hand finds the mark on his neck again.

“As you wish,” Ellen sighs, argument obviously lost.

Dean stays silent. It doesn’t make sense for Cas to have decided on taking the risk to take them in yesterday. Outsiders, you can get rid of in a day. Pack members, a lot has to happen before they’re kicked out. It doesn’t make sense and yet somehow, it makes complete sense. Because it distresses Cas to see people scared or hurt. And they were plenty of both. So his solution is to give them the means to stop hurting and take the risk on himself.

He reaches out and grabs a hold of Cas’ sleeve. Because he can’t give that much back but he can give this.

Ellen looks at them weird but she finishes writing up the new paragraphs. Then she draws three straight lines for their signatures. “Sam is still underage, so, Dean, you’ve got to sign for the both of you.”

“I know,” he nods.

“Not for the pack membership. If we get there. You’ll be signing that individually.”

“Is signing all we have to do?” Dean asks because he hasn’t even tried to look into pack membership, assuming that he and his brother were a liability and not an asset to the pack and would get denied anyway. But he remembers from their old pack that there had been trials and presentations to the pack and demonstrations of submission and it was altogether unpleasant.

“Cas isn’t into what he calls ‘the old fashioned shit’. So yeah, that’s mostly it. Your application will be made public, anyone who is against it has a period of time to step forward. The final decision is with Cas, of course. He’ll go over it with you what he expects of you in the pack. If he hasn’t already,” she shrugs, “getting the feeling you’ve both got a pretty good idea of what you want already. Anyway, Cas will be expected to present you at a town meeting. And you are expected to show that you submit to his authority.”

“Not a problem,” Dean says because that’s _his_ Alpha she’s talking about.

Ellen nods again and turns back to Cas. “Should I be drawing up – other papers, too? Make it public that you’ve started courting? Or are you just going to spring a mating bite on them?”

“Hmm,” Cas thinks about it for a minute. “Dean, what do you say, are you ready for that? Or do you want to think this over first? Talk to your brother?”

An involuntary smile steals on Dean’s lips. “Cas, you’re aware that we’ve made this kind of public already, right?” Cause the way they’ve marked each other, their scent seeped into the pores and it’s going to be hard to wash off. Even if he showers as much of Cas’ scent off as he can, he won’t fool anyone at the garage for a second as to who exactly marked him up.

“I’m guessing you’re right,” Cas says with a slight smile. He doesn’t sound unhappy about it. “Do it then, Ellen.”

“I’d still like to talk to Sam about this so that he doesn’t hear it from anyone else,” Dean says.

“Of course. But I think he’s, umm, aware,” Cas answers. “Of my feelings anyway.”

Dean remembers both the challenge in Sam’s growl and how it had abruptly dropped out of his expression when the honey scent started. He must have placed it more easily than Dean, immediately making the connection that Cas wasn’t possessive purely out of Alpha posturing.

Okay, so working backwards from that, maybe the shocked look on Sam’s face when Dean leaned back into Cas’ touch was more about the fact that Dean usually keeps his distance from Alphas and most definitely doesn’t cozy up to them than about feeling betrayed. Maybe the protection Sam had wanted to offer was mainly for Dean’s heart, cause he had already seen what Dean was too blind to notice.

“Can we – can we go talk to him soon?” he asks because he wants to hug his little brother for being awesome.

“We? You want me to come?” Cas asks and sounds surprised.

“Well, duh,” Dean says. “You’re kind of important in this.” He rubs his hand over Cas’ arm and Cas closes his fingers over Dean’s hand.

Ellen shakes her head at their outward display of affection. “Do you need me for anything else, Alpha? Or can we just sign the papers? Cause I think I want to get out of here.”

“No, Ellen, I think we’ve got it covered. Pen?”

She hands it to him and he signs before handing the paper and pen to Dean, who puts his signature on the second line and hands the document on to Ellen, who signs as witness.

“And done,” Ellen sighs. “Alright. I’ll get you your updated papers as fast as possible.”

“Thank you,” Dean says and it is not necessarily enthusiastic enough, but with everything that’s been happening he’s a bit overwhelmed. There are too many changes to the better to keep track.

Ellen nods. “Cas?”

“I appreciate you coming and taking care of this. Now go and get some fresh air,” Cas smiles.

“Thank you,” she answers, obviously relieved at the dismissal.

As soon as she’s out of the room, nervous excitement is thrumming through Dean. Because he thinks Sam is going to take this well but he isn’t sure. And he doesn’t want to lose him. Ever.

He turns to Cas. “Thank you.”

Cas only raises his eyebrows.

“For not making me choose between him and you.”

Cas half-smiles and reaches for Dean’s hand. “I know when I’d lose, Dean. And before you say it, yes, I could probably make you. But that wouldn’t be what I wanted. It wouldn’t make either of us happy.”

Dean laces his fingers through Cas’ and holds on because he still can’t believe that Cas is for real.

“Want to go see your brother now?”

“Yes,” Dean nods, “yes, I’d like that.”

 

They hold hands until they’re in front of Sam’s room. Then Cas lets go.

“He’s going to smell it immediately anyway,” Dean says.

“Still, safer if you go in first,” Cas shrugs.

The wavy-haired girl – Meg, Cas called her, isn’t in the room. Sam has his eyes closed and with his long hair floating around him he looks like the over-grown pup that he still is to Dean. But he gets what Cas is saying. Sam is growing up fast. He’s getting protective. And he doesn’t know that Dean wasn’t coerced into anything.

So he goes in alone, leaving Cas leaning against the doorframe.

He doesn’t have to wake Sam up, he’s jerking upright as soon as Dean comes near.

“Just me,” Dean calms him down because he’s pretty sure that it is the Alpha scent that woke him up.

Sam’s eyes are bleary and he’s obviously still a bit out of it, but he’s sniffing the air and he’s frowning.

“Yeah, about that… That’s, umm, Cas. And it’s fine.”

Sam shakes his head, fever-sleep slow in leaving. But then his eyes focus on the marks on Dean’s neck and the change in the air is instant.

The hair at Dean’s neck prickles with it and he’s got to do something fast, so he grabs Sam’s hand. “Focus, Sammy. Do I smell unhappy to you? Do I smell like he did something to me?”

Because Dean’s good at lying when he wants to be, but he has yet to manage to keep his scent neutral enough to keep Sam from finding out when something bad has happened to him. He notices every time.

Sam looks him up and down and stretches out a hand to draw down Dean’s collar to get a look at the mark near the collarbone.

There’s a slight growl from the doorway.

Sam stops his movement mid-air.

Dean turns around. “Don’t touch what’s mine? Really, Cas? He’s my brother, for God’s sake!” But he pulls down his collar on his own, leaning his head to the side to let Sam see. “You going to do something stupid if he comes in?” he asks him. “Cause he wants to come in, I can smell it from here.”

“Dean, what happened?” Sam’s voice is hoarse still but he’s alert now. He looks at the mark with a mixture of horror and wonder.

“Uhh, let me see. We’re not in trouble for coming here. We’re going to have health insurance from now on. There’s applications for our pack memberships being processed. If you want one, that is. And umm, yeah,” he looks back at Cas who’s still smelling like he wants to barge in but holds his place in the doorway, “there’s Cas.”

“Yeah, I got that.” It sounds as unsure as the scent he’s getting from Sam. Somewhere between _protect brother fever dream_ and _happy?_ “How long exactly was I out?”

Dean chuckles. “Not as long as the list of events suggests. And no, you aren’t dreaming this in a fever. I know you were wondering.”

“You’re happy.” There is no question mark there but there’s something weird mixed in. An insecurity that Dean isn’t used to.

And then it hits him. This is new. Dean can be content and his life isn’t bad. But happy? Sam has no idea how Dean smells when he’s genuinely happy. He smiles somewhat bashfully and he feels the need to touch Cas and to have him close and to make sure that this isn’t his own fever dream. “Cas, can you come over here? Want you close.”

The sentence is enough that Cas’ willpower about staying at the door falters. Or maybe he wasn’t waiting for permission to come closer from Sam, maybe he was waiting for invitation from Dean. That gives Dean another jolt because fucking hell, the Alpha’s waiting for invitation from him, but then Cas is there and he’s standing behind Dean and nuzzling his nose into Dean’s neck and Dean’s leaning back against him until he’s resting against the Alpha’s chest. That earns a low pleased grumble and he’s getting wrapped in a cocoon of honey and melted chocolate.

“Jesus,” Sam coughs.

And Dean would apologize, only this feels way too good to be apologizing about. So he just laughs. Which in turn makes Cas’ scent even sweeter, like Cas is happy about Dean being happy.

“Fucking hell, you’re going to choke me to death here,” Sam grumbles. “I don’t think I ever wanted to smell this much sugar.”

Dean is tempted to answer that with a dirty joke about everything that Sam can be lucky he isn’t smelling here, but he reigns in the impulse because there’s still two Alphas there, even if one of them is his brother and the other one he’s rapidly learning to trust, but pushing them doesn’t seem like a wise idea anyway. So instead he just asks, “Do you two have any Alpha crap to get out of the way? Because I’m sitting right between you now so that’s probably the safest this will get.”

Cas clucks his tongue but it doesn’t actually sound all that reprimanding.

“Alright, I meant to say important Alpha business,” Dean amends though he can’t keep his grin in. “As long as you guys don’t start haggling over my butt, I’m good.”

It’s a joke but it draws the Alphas up short because it’s a bit too close to the way society still sees the relations between Alphas and Omegas.

“Dean…” They both start simultaneously.

It sobers Dean up. “I hope to God that’s the both of you telling me you wouldn’t.”

There is a moment of quiet before Cas says, “You’re not property, Dean. You’re not – changing hands from Sam to me. I’d still like Sam’s blessing, though.”

Sam silently assesses Cas, a lingering gaze that is all Alpha and that would have Dean tense up if Cas didn’t stay relaxed. “You ever hurt him, I’m going to rip your throat out or die trying.” It is delivered with even conviction.

“I’m aware,” Cas nods.

“Good,” Sam half-growls.

Dean frowns, even though, Omega or not, he’d give pretty much the exact same speech to anyone who was courting Sam.

“The ban on proximity to me has been lifted,” Cas continues. “You’re welcome in my home. Both of you.”

Sam startles at that, Alpha attitude dropping and confused little brother reappearing, and he looks over to Dean for clues.

“Yeah, he means that,” Dean nods.

Something in Sam’s eyes changes. “Thank you, Alpha,” he says quietly.

It’s only then that Dean realizes that for Sam, it must have looked like he’s losing Dean for good. He woke up from a fever to find his whole world overturned and his brother leaving him.

“Oh fuck,” Dean curses and leans forward to hug Sam, even though it means stepping out of Cas’ touch. “I wouldn’t do that, Sammy, you know that, right? I’d never just go and abandon you.” He wraps his arms around him tightly and after a minute, Sam hugs back, though from the tight line of his shoulders, he’s eyeing Cas warily.

But Cas doesn’t interfere, not even when Sam nuzzles his face into Dean, their embrace a practiced huddle with which they’ve comforted each other since they were small pups.

“It’s going to be alright,” Dean whispers. “You’re going to finish school and you’re going to college and whenever you want to come back, I’ll be right here. It’s going to be good, you’ll see.”

He lets go but keeps a hand on Sam’s hand, not wanting to lose the touch completely even while he looks up at Cas. Cas’ smile is tight, discomfort obvious, but there’s nothing in his scent that indicates he’s going act on his possessive instincts.

And that’s it right there, why Dean feels safe giving himself over to this man. Why he actually believes what he’s told Sam. That things are going to be good.

He leans back until his back rests against Cas’ stomach. He has to crane his neck to find Cas’ eyes but he doesn’t mind. He doesn’t have much to say anyway. Only that one thing. So when he’s got Cas’ full attention, he smiles at him and keeps it to one word: “Yours.”

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  Look at this lovely art for the series that Jess made! Doesn't it fit them very well?  
> Thank you so much, hun!


End file.
